The Murmansk Marine Biological Institute – one of the most northern academic institutes in the world where fundamental and scientific engineering problems of the modern marine biology, oceanography and ecology are solved.

It is the oldest establishment of the Russian Science Academy in the North. Since 1935 the institute has been investigating northern seas, gradually expanding the range of its works from Dalnezelenetsky bay to the ocean space from Iceland to the Laptev Sea. Since 1996 The Murmansk Marine Biological Institute has included southern seas in the sphere of its attention, that is why the institute is focusing on the Barents sea and the Sea of Azov.

Let’s have a look at the acting temporary station.

The story of the institute began in the second half of the 19th century when in 1881 there was established the first Russian marine biological station at the initiative of the St. Petersburg naturalists community.

In the end of the 19th century the biological station moved closer to the Arctic, in 1935 its successor became the Murmansk Biological Station of the Academy of Science of the USSR that was reorganized into the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute in 1958. In 1989 it moved to Murmansk city.

In 1998 there was opened an oceanography and biology department in Rostov-on-Don, since 2001 the Azov branch has been working. In 1999 there was opened the Northern marine biological station in the Kola Bay and in 2001 for the first time there was launched scientific base reconstruction at Spitsbergen archipelago where the institute took an active part.

Annually at the station more than 100 researches from different RAS institutes and other establishments do their scientific work, students of various institutes of higher education come here on training.

The station seems to be suspended and then totally plundered. The abandoned houses began to ruin in that climate and now the main building of the institute represents a pitiful sight.

Such elegant buildings. So much history. So sad.
I just wish I could live there with a team of carpenters renovate it and give it a new lease of life. I’m sure many universities and or outward bound groups would love the opportunity to rent study time there.
Did you notice the rafters were just plain round pine no wastage squaring them off. Today all roof timbers have to be ready squared of to precise measurements.
I do feel the chemicals should be collected up and disposed of before someone allows them to leach into the nearby inlet.

hmmm… I hadn’t noticed the rafters. But now I see what you mean, Tiger. I am curious to know more about those glass bottles. I’m diggin that wooden cabinet/shelf with glass paned doors/secretary(?). It looks like it’s built into place. I would love to explore such a place, it looks fascinating. Thanks for sharing photographs and for this article/post.

Too bad…. I worked at a biology station and slept in a small steel cabin (95 years old). Only the laboratory buildings had telephone/heat/insulation. It was still okay, because someone was there to fix things. These buildings are much nicer. Could they be repaired?

Pity that such beautiful and rich in history installations are abadoned and in such a state of disrepair. It would be nice if they could be repaired and modernized so they could be used again. We have so much left to discover about our marine ecosystems.

Those books and other papers may contain a wealth of valuable information. Some higher learning institute in Russia may be interested in examining them. Some of the buildings look beyond repair, what a shame.